The Traveller's Home and Heart
by DepressingGreenie
Summary: Obi-Wan gets to relive his life over and over again, through the many parallels. He however finds that one thing is always the same no matter where or when he is. [Mace/Obi-Wan] This was my work for the "JediFest Exchange '16" and I am very proud of it.


At first it was disconcerting for him. It was utterly unheard of. The Force gave him what was utterly impossible, what should have been utterly impossible. Once he had gotten over the shock, he had been overjoyed. He had the chance to fix everything, write the wrongs.

He made a mistake the first time. He should have known better than to tell everyone that he had come back from the future to fix things. Everyone had thought that Qui-Gon Jinn has lost another apprentice. The pain in Jinn's eyes as his Padawan was dragged off to the mind healers never to be seen again was lesson enough to keep this knowledge to himself. Obi-Wan steeled himself to never tell anyone.

He set himself out to fix everything that had made the Jedi vulnerable and more importantly led to Anakin's fall. All that he was sure of, however, changed with each passing life. At times it seemed like an impossible feat, he began to wonder if he was even meant to fix things. Other times it felt a little easier.

In some lifetimes the Clone Wars never happened, the Sith had alternately trained Force sensitive assassins to bring the Jedi down. The Clones, unbeknownst to the Jedi in these instances, were not even necessary to the Sith, but were just the icing on the cake.

It became more apparent than before, that each future was unique and forever in motion. Obi-Wan was always on his toes, waiting for the next turn in his current life.

But there were moments of peace in every life, and Obi-Wan always did him best to experience that peace to its fullest.

Obi-Wan sat in the grass in a meditative position, waiting, a small smile brightening his face. He had been looking forward to this all week.

This was one of the closest of the Temple gardens to the High Jedi Council Spire. He had convinced some of his friends to make the main hallways nearly impossible to travel. Mace and Yoda had a meeting today in those chambers, and if all went as planned Mace would come by this way.

It is not too long before Mace appears from around the corner, looking a little put off that his usual route was cut off. Obi-Wan cannot help but laugh softly at this.

Mace notices him and walks over calmly. With an affectionately annoyed expression he comments "This, the halls, were all your doing, wasn't it?" A small smile begins to grow on Mace's face.

"Oh, I planned it, certainly. But I had help" Obi-Wan confirms. "If it makes it any better… I have brought food and refreshments."

"A picnic?" Mace laughs. He sits down next to Obi-Wan in the grass.

Obi-Wan hums his affirmative as he reaches behind himself for the basket of food.

They eat in peace, savoring the moment together. After a while they both lay back and let the simulated sunlight warm them.

Mace looks over to Obi-Wan when the silence grows uncharacteristically long.

Obi-Wan feels Mace's presence in the Force echo off him. He gazes up at the Master, concerned, from where he was laying in the grass. Mace looks at Obi-Wan, his eyes calculating.

"What is troubling you, Obi-Wan?" Mace asks softly, genuine concern radiating off him. He keeps eye contact with Obi-Wan waiting for an answer. When none is forth coming, he adds quietly "You can trust me with anything."

Obi-Wan looks away into the distance, eyes lost within millions of memories.  
/I do not want to lose you again. I do not what to see in which way your demise will come in this lifetime. I want t-/

Mace rests his hand gently over Obi-Wan's stilling its restless movements in the grass and effectively stopping that train of thought. "I sense that you are worried, Obi-Wan."

Obi-Wan turned to face him and gave him a smile "I'm simply contemplating the future… and the looming threat of war"

Mace smiles at him reassuringly. But he says nothing, both of them knew that to say everything would be alright would be a lie, as Jedi they knew that all was in motion. That everything can change in a single moment. But his smile was enough to give him hope.

For many millennia Obi-Wan had felt unhinged by his travels through the many probabilities of the Force. There was never any certainty on the future in any life he had lived.

But he was awed to find, that in each parallel, there was a constant, one not of death or pain… but of love. Whether it was the love of friendship simple and pure or the fiery passion of a lover that was all consuming, there would be one indisputable fact in all of Obi-Wan's lives. Mace Windu would always love Obi-Wan Kenobi. And that is something that he would always hold on to.


End file.
